Vapor separator



Feb. 6, 1951 I c, c, CARSON 2,540,097

VAPOR SEPARATOR Filed March 7, 1946 INVENTOR.

0L, IFFORD C. CARSON ATTORNEY small vent 45 to insure that anycondensate entrapped in the lower part of the device will be drained tothe exhaust, thus eliminating the danger of damage due to freezing whenthe apparatus is not in use.

In order that the heat may be extracted from any flash steam which mayform in the lower portion of the steam trap, a'tubular conductor 41,threadably engaged in threaded opening 46 of the lower portion of thecylindrical shell l2, communicates with and conducts the flash steam tocondenser 48. This condenser 48, having fins 49 spaced along its length,is positioned within a rectangular hollow chamber 5| through which airto be heated is passed and brought into contact with the fins 49 of thecondenser 48. Conductor 41 is of such a size that the condensate formingwithin the condenser as a result of extraction of heat from the flashsteam received therein, may be returned to the lower portion of thecylindrical member I2 and drained down into base ll so that eventuallyit escapes into the exhaust H9. The volume of the space on the side ofthe baflie 42 adjacent to the exhaust opening I9 is substantially equalto the volume which is occupied by the amount of condensate dischargedeach time the trap opens to force condensate into the low pressurechamber.

When the steam power system, with which the .apparatus is associated, isoperated for heating purposes or the like, air as well as a slightamount of water is first expelled from the steam power line and into theradiator from which it escapes to the trap through inlet opening [8. Theair andlow temperature water pass from the inletopening [8 down throughthe space around the thermostatic valve 35, over the baffles 39, 4| andentering the trap is caused to pass into the upper portion thereofthrough opening 38 and into the bucket l1. Any small amount of steamwhich passes through vent 21 is condensed before it reaches the-opening31, the loss of heat from the body of the apparatus being sufflcient to.offset the latent heat of the small amount of f steam which escapesthrough said opening. As the steam condenses, the level of thecondensate in shell [2 will rise to such a point as to cause I 'thebucket H, by reason of steam contained therein, to become buoyant andrise to such a level as to force the ball valve member 29 intoengagement with the seat 3| thus closing the passage between the highpressure and low pressure chambers. As soon as condensation of the steamthus entrapped is effected, the bucket llv drops, opening the valvebetween the high and low pressure chambers to perg mit a quantity of thecondensate to be forced, by reason of the difference in pressure,

through the L-shaped tubular member 24 to the low pressure chamber H.Upon reaching this low pressure area, however, the condensate or aportion thereof immediately flashes into steam.

.The steam thus created canbe utilized for fur- ,nishing considerableheat for an air heating system by permitting it to pass into thecondenser 48 through the tubular conductor 41 where it condenses, losingits latent heat of vaporization to the condenser and air passing overfins 49. The condensate thus formed will drain back into the bottomportion of cylindrical shell I 2 and into the lower portion of the lowpressure chamber II. The condensate entrapped at the bottom of thechamber II is caused to be expelled to the exhaust at each instance thatthe trap opens by reason of the fact that the high pressure on the highpressure side will momentarily be in communication with the low pressurechamber so that the water is forced out as a result of the pulsatingaction.

Since the thermostatic valve I6 is located in a position lower than theinlet opening i8, complete drainage of the power system is insured atall times for as the condensate, which is normally present when thedevice is not in operation, is of a low temperature, the thermostaticvalve l6 remains open insuring complete drainage of condensate bygravity to the exhaust [9. Thus, no condensate can be retained in thehigh pressure chamber of the trap to freeze and cause damage to theapparatus when the device is not in use.

As an aid to rapid flashing when the condensate reaches the low pressurechamber, the baffles 39, 4! and 42 are so arranged to cause the flow ofcondensate to be restricted and to bring about agitation thereof toinsure that a portionof the heat contained therein will be utilized inthe formation of flash steam.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanyingdrawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of theinvention and that various changes in construction, proportion andarrangement of the parts may be made within the scope of the appendedclaims without sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

The invention herein described and claimed may be manufactured and usedby or forv the Government of the United States of America forgovernmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon ortherefor.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for extracting heat from a heat transmitting medium issuingfrom a power system comprising a high pressure chamber into which air,condensate and vapor may be introduced from said power system, a lowpressure chamber beneath and communicating with said high pressurechamber by means of two independent passages, a thermostatic valvebeneath said high pressure chamber adapted to close one of said passagesand a mechanically operable valve adapted to close the other of saidpassages, buoyant means for actuating said last-mentioned valve, aplurality of bailles arranged within said low pressure chamber to breakup said condensate and for reversing the flow of condensate receivedtherein from said high pressure chamber, a heat exchanger associatedwith said low pressure chamber, and an exhaust so located with respectto said pressure chambers as to automatically insure complete drainageof all condensate from said apparatus when the apparatus is out ofoperation.

2. Apparatus for extracting heat from a heat transmitting medium issuingfrom a steam power system comprisin an inlet, a high pressure chamberinto which air, condensate and vapor may be introduced from said powersystem, a low pressure chamber beneath and communicating with said highpressure chamber, a passage adjacent to said inlet and between saidchambers, a thermostatic valve within said passage and beneath said highpressure chamber adapted to permit air and a-relatively 10w temperaturecondensate to pass directly into said low pressure chamber, a secondpassage between said high and low pressure chambers, a mechanicallyoperable valve within said sec- 0nd passage, buoyant means for actuatingsaid last-mentioned valve, a plurality of bafiles arranged within saidlow pressure chamber to break up said condensate and for reversing theflow of condensate received therein from said high pressure chamber, aheat exchanger associated with said low pressure chamber, and an exhaustso located with respect to said pressure chambers as to automaticallyinsure complete drainageof all condensate from said apparatus when theapparatus is out of operation.

3. Apparatus for extracting heat from a heat transmitting medium issuingfrom a steam power system comprising an inlet, a. high pressure chamberinto which air, condensate and vapor may be introduced from said powersystem, a low pressure chamber beneath and communicating with said highpressure chamber, a passage adjacent said inlet and between saidchambers, a thermostatic valve within said passage and beneath said highpressure chamber adapted to permit air and a relatively low temperaturecondensate to pass directly into said low pressure chamber, a secondpassage between said high 'sure complete drainage of all condensate fromsaid apparatus when the apparatus is out of operation.

CLIFFORD C. CARSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,571,921 I-Iutchison Feb. 2,1926 1,583,136 Srulowitz et a1 May 4, 1926 2,097,401 Dunn Oct. 26, 19372,163,667 Crowther et a1. June 27, 1939 2,174,485 Zies Sept. 26, 19392,249,055 Carson Sept. 14, 1948

